(R. H. GA.) Battle of Long Island, 1776.—The interest of this battle lies in the fact that it was the first engagement in the campaign of 1776 (see AMERICAN REVOLUTION) and was expected in Eng land to be decisive of the contest in the colonies. After the evacuation of Boston (March 1776), Lord Howe moved against New York city, which he thought would afford a better base of operations for the future. The Americans undertook its defence although recognizing the difficulties in the case, as the bay and rivers adjoining would enable the British fleet to co-operate effect ively with the army. To protect his left flank Washington was forced to throw a portion of his troops over to the Long Island side of the East river ; they fortified themselves there on the site of the present Borough of Brooklyn. Lord Howe, who had en camped on Staten Island at the entrance to the harbour, deter mined to attack this isolated left wing, and on Aug. 22 landed at Gravesend bay, Long Island, with about 20,000 men. The Ameri cans maintained strong outposts in the wooded hills in advance of their fortified lines. On the morning of the 27th Howe, after four days' reconnaissance, attacked these posts with three columns, the left and centre delivering the holding attack, and the right and strongest column turning the enemy's left by a detour. Howe himself, accompanied by Generals (Sir H.) Clinton and Lord Cornwallis, led the turning movement, which came upon the rear of the enemy at the moment when they were engaged with the two other columns. By noon the Americans had been driven back
into the Brooklyn lines in considerable confusion, and with the loss of about half their number. This constituted the battle. The completeness of the British victory was due to the neglect of the Americans in guarding the left of their outposts. Howe has been criticized for not immediately assaulting the American works, which he might have carried on the evening of the battle. In view of the fact that he had only defeated a small portion of the American forces, and that the works were of considerable strength, he decided to make a formal siege, and Washington took advantage of the delay in operations to retreat across the river to New York on the night of the 29th. This successful movement repaired to some extent the bad moral effect of the defeat of the 27th in the American camp. In the engagement of Long Island Washington lost about 1,200 prisoners and 3o guns, and 400 killed and wounded; of the latter the British lost nearly the same number.
See Thomas Warren Field, "The Battle of Long Island," Long Island Hist. Soc. Memoirs, vol. ii. (1869) ; and Charles Francis Adams, "The Battle of Long Island," Amer. Hist. Rev., vol. i., p. 650-67o (1896). (C. F. A.)